Hay-stacking frame



Feb. 2 1926.. 1,571,787

A. BRADLEY HAY STACKING FRAME Filed June 2 1925 I INVENTOR. fill?radlefl,

Patented Feb. 2, 1.9262

TEE STAT @FFHQ- HAY-STACKING FRAME.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALLEN BRADLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Herndon, in the county of Fairfax and State of Virginia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hay-StackingFrames, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a portable stacking frame, more particularlyto a frame of the class especially adapted for supporting shocks orstacks of hay out of contact with the ground and in a manner to provideventilation to facilitate the curing and drying of the hay, and theinvention has for its object to provide, in a manner as hereinafterreferred to, a portable stacking frame for the purpose referred to,which is very simple and inexpensive in construction and in which theseveral parts are so combined and formed that the frame can be quicklycollapsed and folded up, substantially flat-wise, to permit of a numberof frames being stored up in a compact space, and further in which theelements of the frame are so arranged whereby the frame can be quicklyset up in the field at the desired point and sustained without thenecessity of driving the supporting ends thereof into the ground, as inthe common way for fasteningstacker poles.

Further objects of the invention are to provide, in a manner ashereinafter set forth, a portable hay stacking frame, whichis foldablecompactly when not in use, strong, durable, thoroughly efficient in itsuse, conveniently extended to stack supporting position, and inexpensiveto manufacture.

Vith the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists ofthe novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts ashereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the invention,but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modificationscan be resorted to which come within the scope of the claims hereuntoappended.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters denote correspondingparts throughout the several Views:-

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a portable hay stacking frame, inaccordance with this invention, when extended to stack supportingposition.

Application filed June 24, 1925. Serial No. 39,298.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the frame when folded.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view on line 33, Figure 1.

Figure 4: is a fragmentary view partly in section and in elevationillustrating one of the supporting bars and a pair of brace bars.

A hay stacking frame, in accordance with this invention, when extended,is pyramidal. in contour, as shown in Figure 1, and said frame includesfour supporting bars, indicated at 1, 2, 3 and 4: and which are of equallength and the length of said bars can be as desired. The frame furtherincludes four brace bars 5, 6, 7 and 8.

The upper end terminal portion of the inner side edge of the bars 1 and2 is bevelled, as indicated at 9 in Figure 3, whereby when thesupporting bars are extended inan upright position the bevelled portionsof the bars 1, 2 will abut. The bevelling of the bars 1, 2, providessaid bars with upper end terminal portions of reduced thickness. Thebars 3 and 4 have their upper end terminal portions of reduced thicknessand which are provided by bevelling the outer sides of the bars 3, 4-,at the upper terminal portions thereof, ,as indicated at 10. The bars 1,2, 3 and 4, at their reduced upper end terminal portions, are formedwith registering openings, as indicated at 11., and said registeringopenings 11 are provided for the passage of suitable means for pivotallyand loosely connecting the said upper terminal portions of said barstogether. Any means can be em loyed for such purpose, and by way ofexample, there is illustrated a substantially elongated cotter pin 12formed with a head 13 and a pair of angle-shaped end portions 14:, 15,extending in opposite directions with respect to each other. A washer 16is positioned against the bevelled portion 10 of the bar 3, and a washer17 is positioned against the bevelled portion 10 of the bar 4:. Thecotter pin 12 extends through said washers and the washer 16 isinterposed between the bar 3 and the head 13, and the washer 17 isinterposed between the angular end portions 14 and 15 and the bar 4:.

l Vhen the bars 1, 2, 3 and 4 are connected together by the cotter pin12, the upper ends of the bars 1, 2 are arranged between the p r end oft e bars .3, h inner s de of the bar 8 rides against the upper end ofthe outer side of the bar 1, and the inner side of the bar 4 ridesagainst the outer side of the bar 2. The bars 1 and 3, when the frame isset up, are disposed at an inclination and extend in opposite directionswith respect to each other, and a like arrangement is had with respectto the bars 2, 4. hen the frame is set up, the bars 1 and 2 extend at aninclination and in an opposite direction with respect to each other, anda like arrangement is had with respect to the bars 3, 4. Then the frameis set up or extended, the bars 1, 2 are shifted relatively to eachother so that the lower portions thereof will extend away from eachother whereby the bevelled portions 9 will abut, see Figure 3.

Each of the bars 1, 2, 8 and 4, at a point between its transverse centerand lower end, is provided with a transverse opening 18. See Figure 4.The opening 18 in the bar 1 extends at right angles with respect to theopening 18 in the bar 2. The opening 18 in the bar 2 extends at rightangles with respect to the opening 18 in the bar 4. The opening 18 inthe bar 4 extends at right angles with respect to the opening 18 in thebar 3, and the opening 18 in the bar 3 extends at right angles withrespect to the opening 18 in the bar 1.

Each of the brace bars 5, 6, 7 and 8 is pro vided with a transverseopening 19 as shown in Figure 4. The opening 19 in the bar 5 extends atright angles with respect to the opening 19 in the bar 6. The opening 19in the bar 6 extends at right angles with re spect to the opening 19 inthe bar 7. The opening 19 in the bar 7 extends at right angles withrespect to the opening 19 in the bar 8, and the opening 19 in the latterextends at right angles with respect to the opening 19 in the bar 5. Theopenings 18 in the supporting bars register with the openings 19 in thebrace bars, and said. registering openings are provided for the passageof means for pivotally connecting the brace bars to the supporting bars.The bar 5 is pivotally connected in proximity to one end to the bar 1.The bar 6 is pivotally connected in proximity to one end to the bar 2.The bar 7 is pivotally connected in proximity to one end to the bar 4,and the bar 8 is pivotally connected in proximity to one end to the bar3. The brace bars are of equal length and can be of any length desired.The top edge of each of the brace bars, in proximity to the end oppositethe end thereof which is pivoted, is provided with a vertically disposedstop 20 for a purpose to be presently referred to.

Any suitable means can be employed for .pivotally connecting the bracebars to the supportmg bars and as illustrated by way .03": example, acotter pin. 21 is extended through each pair of registering openings 18,19 and includes a head 22 and a pair of oppositely extending angularlydisposed end portions 23, 24. Interposed between the end portions 23 and24 and a supporting bar is a washer 25, through which extends the cotterpin 21. Interposed between the head 22 and a brace bar is a washer 26through which extends the cotter pin 21. See Figure 4.

The brace bars are of a length to project from the supporting bars whenthe frame is set up in stack supporting position, see Figure 1, and thefree end of the brace bar 5 is supported upon the pivoted end of thebrace bar 6 and abuts against the supporting bar 2 and is maintained inposition against said bar 2 by the stop 20- carried by the brace bar 6.The brace bar 6 is supported upon the pivoted end of the brace bar '1exteriorly of and abuts against the supporting bar 4 and is maintainedin position by the stop 20 on the brace bar 7. The brace bar 7 ismounted on the pivoted end of the brace bar 8 exteriorly of thesupporting bar 8 and is maintained against said supporting bar 3 by thestop 20 on the brace bar 8. The brace bar 8 is mounted on the pivotedend of the brace. bar 5 exteriorly of the supporting bar 1 and ismaintained against said bar 1 by the stop 20 on the brace bar 5.

When the frame is folded, the bars 1 and 2 abut lengthwise. The bar 8abuts against the bar 1, and the bar 4 abuts against the bar 2. SeeFigure 2. The bar -5 abuts against the bar 1 lengthwise thereof. The bar8 abuts against the bar 3 lengthwise thereof. The bar 7 abuts againstthe bar 4 lengthwise thereof, and the bar 6 abuts against the bar 2lengthwise thereof. See Figure 2 with respect to the folded position ofthe bars 5, 7 and 8. The bar 6 is at the back of the bar2when folded inthe position shown in Figure 2, therefore, the bar 6 is not illustrated.

The brace bars not only provide means for maintaining the supportingbars in extended position, but also act as supporting means foreachother and carry stops so that the brace bars will be retained in bracingand suspending position for the supporting bars. The brace bars arearranged, when the frame is extended, to stack supporting position, asufficient distance above the ground to permit air to freely circulatebeneath the stack to facilitate the curing and drying of the hay.

The construction and arrangement of the elements of the stacking frameare such that the frame can be quickly extended and folded when occasionrequires, and further when collapsed folded in a compact mannerrequiring but little storage space.

It is thought that the many'advant-ages of a portable hay stackingframe, in accord ance with this invention, can be readily understood,and although the preferred embodiment of the invention is as illustratedand described, yet it is to be understood that changes in the details ofconstruction can be had which will fall within the scope of theingzention as claimed.

What I claim is :v

1. A foldable hay stacking frame comprising two pair of upstandingfoldable supporting bars extendible at an inclination to the vertical,and pivotally connected together at their upper ends, a foldable bracebar pivotally connected at a point in proximity to one end thereof toasupporting bar in proximity to the lower end of the latter andshiftable to extend horizontally when the supporting bar is extended,said brace bars arranged exteriorly of the supporting bars and of alength to project laterally therefrom when the supporting bars areextended, each of said brace bars when shifted to a horizontal positionhaving its free end seating on and supported by the pivoted end of anadjacent brace bar, and means carried by said brace bars for maintainingthe nonpivoted ends thereof against the supporting bars when theselatter are extended.

2. A foldable hay stacking frame comprising two pair of upstandingfoldable supporting bars extendible at an inclination to the vertical,means common to said bars and extending through the upper end portionsthereof for slidably and pivotally connecting said end portionstogether, brace bar pivoted at one end to said supporting bars, andmeans carried by said brace bars for maintaining the non-pivoted endsthereof against the supporting bars when these latter are extended, onepair of supporting bars arranged between the bars of the other pair andhaving the inner sides at the upper end terminals thereof beveled.

3. A foldable hay stacking frame comprising two pair of upstandingfoldable supporting bars extendible at an inclination to the verticaland pivotally connected together at their upper ends, a foldable bracebar pivotally connected at a point in proximity to one end thereof to asupporting bar l'l proximity to the lower end of the latter andshiftable to extend horizontally when the supporting bar is extended,said brace bars arranged exteriorly of the supporting bars and of alength to project laterally therefrom when the supporting bars areextend ed, each of said brace bars when shifted to a horizontal positionhaving its free end seating on and supported by the pivoted end of anadjacent brace bar.

In testimony whereof, I aiiix my signature hereto.

ALLEN BRADLEY,

